CIHO-FM (Community), St-Hilarion

, Radio MF Charlevoix Inc.

1985On January 29, Radio MF Charlevoix was granted a licence for an FM station at Baie Saint-Paul, operating on 96.3 MHz with an effective radiated power of 7,520 watts. A rebroadcast transmitter at La Malbaie was not approved because of technical issues.

Radio MF Charlevoix, a non-profit community organization was established in 1981. Since the fall of 1982, the applicant had been producing a weekly, one-hour program that was broadcast on the Rivière-du-Loup community station, CION-FM, for the residents of Charlevoix.

On June 28, CIHO was authorized on a temporary basis (to August 11) to decrease its effective radiated power from 7,520 watts to a power not greater than 7 watts. The station was also authorized to relocate the transmitter site from the authorized location to a number of sites all located within the coverage area already authorized. The temporary authority would allow the station to broadcast local events during the summer from mobile facilities until the station officially goes on the air.

1986CIHO-FM was given approval to decrease ERP from 7,520 to 2,200 watts and relocate the transmitter site from Saint-Hilarion to Mont des Éboulements. Until the station was ready to operate at full capacity, it was allowed to operate at a power no greater than 7 watts and to move the transmitter (on a mobile basis) within the planned coverage area.

CIHO signed on the air on October 10.

1988
On January 22, the CRTC approved the application for a licence for a French-language FM radio broadcasting transmitting undertaking at La Malbaie on the frequency 105.9 MHz, channel 290, with an effective radiated power of 100 watts to rebroadcast the programs of CIHO-FM. The licence would expire September 30, 1989. This term would enable the Commission to consider the renewal of this licence at the same time as that of CIHO-FM, the originating station. The Commission noted that the applicant had originally applied to use the frequency 99.3 MHz, a frequency already being utilized by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation for CBV-6-FM. Following an intervention by the CBC in this regard and in response to directives from the Department of Communications, Radio MF Charlevoix Inc. changed its proposal and received DOC certification for its revised technical brief. The Commission acknowledged that approval of this application was inconsistent with its long-standing policy which precluded the use of two frequencies to serve a single market. However, the Commission was satisfied that a departure was justified in the circumstance because of the poor technical quality of the signal receivable in La Malbaie which originated from the main transmitter located at Mont-des-Éboulements. This assessment of the signal quality was initially made through signal measurements conducted by the licensee's engineering consultant and confirmed by a computer-aided analysis performed by the DOC.

1989
Approval was granted for CIHO to add a transmitter at Rivière-du-Gouffre (Baie Saint-Paul) on 92.1 MHz with an effective radiated power of 15 watts.

CIHO was given approval to move the transmitter site approximately 10 kilometers northwest from Mont des Éboulements to Montagne de la Croix at Saint-Hilarion and to increase ERP from 2,200 to 2,450 watts.

1990CIHO-FM (with CIHO-FM-1 La Malbaie and CIHO-FM-2 Riviere-du-Gouffre) had its licence renewed only to August 31, 1992 due to problems meeting foreground program and other commitments in its Promise of Performance and in meeting CRTC regulations.

1994
The CRTC issued a Mandatory Order for two years against CIHO-FM, primarily for failing to maintain logger tapes. A Mandatory Order is filed with the Federal Court and failure to meet its requirements will put the station in contempt of court.

1995
CIHO-FM-2 Rivière-du-Gouffre was given approval to increase power from 15 to 16.3 watts and to relocate the antenna site from Rivière-du-Gouffre to Baie-Saint-Paul, approximately 1.7 kilometres southwest of the present site.

2003
CIHO was given permission to add transmitters at Petite-Rivière-Saint-François (88.1 MHz with 20.7 watts) and Saint-Siméon (88.1 MHz with 32.2 watts).

2006
On August 2 the CRTC renewed CIHO-FM's licence until August 31, 2009. The renewal included transmitters CIHO-FM-1 La Malbaie, CIHO-FM-2 Baie-Saint-Paul, CIHO-FM-3 Petite-Riviere-Saint-Francois and CIHO-FM-4 Saint Simeon. The Commission noted Radio MF's history of non-compliance for the years 1989 to 1996 as well as Radio MF's current failure to comply with its condition of licence for the broadcasting of category 3 (Special Interest Music) music. A more thorough review by the Commission revealed other anomalies involving certain conditions of CIHO-FM's licence. The Commission noted the refusal by the Department of Industry to grant a broadcasting certificate for the Saint-Siméon transmitter (CIHO-FM-4); Radio MF's failure to submit CIHO-FM's annual report for the year 2002 to the Commission despite its obligation under the provisions of section 9(2) of the Radio Regulations, 1986.

The Commission approved the application by Radio MF Charlevoix inc. to amend its condition of licence with regard to the broadcast of category 3 musical programming. Also approved: the application by Radio MF Charlevoix inc. to delete the condition of licence related to the number of hours of advertising that can be broadcast by CIHO-FM. Radio MF's licence is subject to a condition of licence that requires it to broadcast at least 35% English-language vocal music. Given that this station holds a French-language commercial radio licence, the Commission considers it unnecessary to renew this condition of licence. The Commission also approved the application for an amendment related to the broadcast of spoken word programming. Conditions: The licensee shall devote, in each broadcast week, at least 5% of its musical selections to content category 3 (Special Interest Music) musical selections, at least 15% of which will be devoted to Canadian musical selections scheduled in a reasonable manner throughout each broadcast day. The licensee shall broadcast at least 15% community-oriented spoken word programming in each broadcast week. The licensee shall devote, in each broadcast week, at least 40% of its content category 2 (Popular music) musical selections to Canadian selections broadcast in their entirety.

2011
On August 31, the CRTC administratively renewed the licence for CIHO-FM Saint-Hilarion and its transmitters CIHO-FM-1 La Malbaie, CIHO-FM-2 Baie-Saint-Paul, CIHO-FM-3 Petite-Rivière-Saint-François and CIHO-FM-4 Saint-Siméon to August 31, 2012.

2012On August 28, the CRTC administratively renewed the licence of CIHO-FM Saint-Hilarion and its transmitters CIHO-FM-1 La Malbaie, CIHO-FM-2 Baie-Saint-Paul, CIHO-FM-3 Petite-Rivière-Saint-François and CIHO-FM-4 Saint-Siméon to March 31, 2013.

2013On March 27, the CRTC renewed the licence of CIHO-FM Saint-Hilarion and its transmitters to August 31, 2019. The Commission approved the licensee's request to delete its condition of licence relating to the filing of a self-assessment report.